Jefferson to start Sunday alcohol sales this week

Tuesday

JEFFERSON - Jefferson city council members voted unanimously Monday evening to allow city shop owners to start selling beer and wine this coming Sunday.

Jefferson voters decided Nov. 8 to allow retailers to sell alcohol on Sundays, but council members had to formally change the town's alcohol ordinance before the change could take effect.

"The citizens have spoken, and all we have done is to amend our ordinance to allow for Sunday sales," said Mayor Jim Joiner.

A few of the city's grocery stores have called city hall since Election Day and plan to start selling beer and wine on Sundays this weekend, said City Manager John Ward.

"I recommended that (the change) go into effect (as soon as councilmen voted)," said Ward. "I thought it would alleviate some of the confusion about when stores could start selling on Sunday."

Jefferson was one of 100 or so Georgia cities and counties where voters agreed to allow people to buy packaged beer and wine on Sundays.

Referendums were held in 127 cities and counties, and the public voted to end local blue laws in 105 of those jurisdictions, according to the Georgia Food Industry Association.

Locally, residents in Hoschton, Auburn, Braselton, Pendergrass, Comer, Elbert County, Barrow County, Jefferson and Winder all went to the polls Nov. 8 to weigh in on the issue.

Of the 6,733 votes cast in those elections, 3,948 of them - about 60 percent - were to approve Sunday alcohol sales.

Voters in Elbert County, Comer and Pendergrass voted down the referendum.

So far, only residents in Auburn, Winder and Braselton have been able to shop on Sundays for beer and wine in local stores.

Store owners in unincorporated Barrow County and Hoschton will be able to start selling on Sundays in December if the county commission and city council amend alcohol ordinances to reflect the results of the referendum.

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